Gray expected suspicion, perhaps some defensiveness at his blatant dig for information. He wasn’t certain how powerful Team Rocket was in this life, but he wasn’t naive enough to think they would be easily dismissible.

  At the very least, he felt a duty to make sure his nephews were as safe as possible.

  Instead, Bella’s face is nothing but plain surprised. She awkwardly pursed her lips, thoughts racing.

  It threw Gray off that there was zero hostility in her.

  “You’re Kantonian right, sir? Will you be leaving Kanto any time soon?”

  Gray blinked quickly before answering carefully. “Yes, I am. You know this. Professor Samuel Oak is my grandfather and Champion Blue is my brother. I was raised by the Pallet Town gym leader, Sammy Oak.

  As for leaving Kanto, I’ve no plans at present.”

  Bolstered with confidence from his reply, Bella began to share without holding anything back.

  “I’m part of a group called Team Rocket. We’re not evil or anything like that!” She hurriedly reassured upon seeing the frown on Gray’s face. “But we’re a resistance group against Johtonian favoritism.”

  She proceeded to explain the situation as she knew it.

  Since the time Gray left Kanto, there had been governmental efforts to develop prosperity and bridge the gap between Kanto and Johto. From governmental policies to grassroot efforts, more was being done to develop Indigo as a whole.

  Unfortunately, government action leaned more towards Johto's benefit.

  For example, Johtonian businesses were widely encouraged and incentivised to set up business in Kanto, the Blossom Bar being just one example. Over time, Johtonian businesses have begun to prosper, ultimately funneling funds and capital back to Johto and strengthening the region. The vice versa, however, was lacking.

  “But locals have the choice on where to spend their money, yes? If the locals don’t patronise such businesses, would Johtonian stores do as well as they have?”

  “Yes! But Johtonian stores aren’t targeting locals for their business. They’re looking at foreign patronage to sustain themselves, visitors and corporations from Hoenn and Sinnoh.”

  Understanding began to dawn on Gray as Bella explained.

  Johto as a whole, was historically more focused on its traditional roots. From architecture to culture, there had been less willingness to adopt modern practices.

  In contrast, Kanto had been more willing to adapt, opening its shores to the likes of Hoenn and Sinnoh for trade. With its well-developed ports and modern building methods, Kanto was more suitable for economic activity to foreign powers infrastructure-wise.

  Over time, Kanto became more prosperous, its citizens becoming more global minded with increased contact with people beyond Indigo.

  Gray had a sneaking suspicion that Red and Blue’s back-to-back championship wins against Lance was the turning point for Johto, signifying that even in military might, Johto had fallen behind.

  So it wasn’t a surprise that in the years he had been gone, there was more of a governmental push to narrow the gap between the two countries.

  Personally, he felt that it wasn’t too big of an issue considering Johto needed the push more. When he reiterates this to Bella, he is met with a harsh rebuke.

  “If their goal was just to help Johto prosper, then fine. But they’re pushing us out! They come into our land, take our jobs and compete with our businesses using our developments! They should have been grateful, but they’re actively trying to stamp us out!”

  We’re not the first business that has struggled to stay afloat in recent years! The Pokemon League has incentives for foreign businesses to trade with Johtonian businesses, so of course they’re choosing to work with them for better profit margins!”

  Gray frowned when Bella explained heatedly that Sinnoh and Hoenn are incentivised to trade with Johto businesses over Kantonian through various means, from tax rebates to tariffs.

  “So what is Team Rocket’s goal? To destroy Johtonian businesses?”

  “We just want to even the playing field, make it so that we can compete fairly against Johto.”

  “You’re telling me you have no governmental assistance at all? You should still be in a precinct, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  Bella blushed at the reminder of her friends’ exploits from last night, their feeble attempt at destroying Blossom Bar.

  “They did punish us a bit. But they let us go cause we’re all so young…”

  She doesn’t elaborate further, but Gray couldn’t find it in him to demand exactly how the Vermilion police station handled the situation when he left last night.

  Bella rushed to change the conversation’s direction. “Team Rocket members are just resisting the injustices against us. We’re locals doing our best to survive, helping each other out like a proper community.”

  “But these issues are bigger than you. They’re happening at the higher levels of government. Are you saying Team Rocket has people in high places to try and change things there too?”

  Shaking her head, Bella admitted. “I don’t know for sure. Most of us aren’t privy to that sort of information. Mr Oak, we’re just normal people doing what we can to live! But if there are, I hope they start doing what they can to help us because we’re drowning!”

  She proceeded to describe the situation at the highest level: the Elite Four.

  At present, there were two Kantonian members.

  Agatha, the ghost mistress and the longest serving Elite Four member, was wholly focused on Lavender Town affairs. She had little to no desire in addressing issues so long as her bottom line was untouched.

  Bruno, the Fighting Master, cared more for fighting than politics. He was often away, off-route training and working on becoming a stronger trainer instead of fighting for his region’s interests.

  The rest of the members, including the reigning Champion Lance were from Johto.

  Gray thought to ask about Blue and Professor Oak too, but decided against it. It wouldn’t do to appear ignorant of his own family members. A deeper part of him wouldn’t know what to do if they were compliant to the common people’s sufferings.

  He’d confront them in the privacy of their own home. Maybe he can just ask Grandpa Sammy instead, avoid them altogether.

  Choosing to focus on the situation at hand, Gray decided to ask the most pertinent questions he had.

  “How far are Team Rocket members willing to go? Will they resort to stealing pokemon?”

  Gray took comfort in Bella’s indignance. She neither hesitated nor minced her next words.

  “Sir, we don’t claim to be complete law-abiding citizens, but there are lines we would never cross! We don’t steal pokemon or hurt them in our efforts! We would never! I would never!

  Besides, this is an issue between humans! Why would we bring innocent pokemon into our troubles?”

  The fairy trainer could breathe a bit easier, knowing that it was likely that Team Rocket had yet to resort to extreme methods to fulfill its goals. To be fair, it was possible that there were branches within the organisation already committing such crimes, but if a low rung member like Bella was not involved it was likely limited to smaller scale operations.

  He’s not completely naive, however. Gray knew that pokemon stealing is still a possibility in the future. This was the Pokemon World, where strength opens doors. The issue at hand may be a human problem, but pokemon would inevitably be involved sooner or later.

  Human wars have always involved pokemon.

  Satisfied, Gray led Bella back towards the front of the store, watching his nephews try their best to train the Oddish in using Grassy Terrain and Moonlight.

  He reassured the boys that they wouldn’t leave Vermillion until their ‘mission’ was complete. He was in no rush to obtain badges, and Gray would much rather spend time subtly influencing his boys to be better trainers in the future.

  He smiled at their innocence, vowing to do what he could to preserve it.

  Though innocence was one thing, plain idiocy wasn’t tolerable.

  “Did you both not recognise Bella and her friends? We’ve met them before, you know.” Gray asked once they were safely back in their hotel room that same night.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  "Huh? What do you mean Uncle Gray?”

  “We’ve met them before. They were the troublemakers from last night.”

  Gray felt something within him settle at the disbelief on both boys’ faces. Good, at least they weren't completely blind.

  “We’ll work on your ability to… see underneath the underneath.”

  His ominous phrasing was a hit with the boys as they immediately turned to each other to discuss ‘seeing through disguises’ and ‘never falling for tricks again’.

  Gray prayed to Arceus that their face blindness was curable and not inevitable pokemon-world shenanigans.

  The next few days, Gray spent habitually visiting Bella’s store with the boys. He welcomed being able to sit back and watch his charges do their best in training the Oddish.

  Slowly but surely, the grass pokemon’s ability to perform Grassy Terrain and Moonlight improve, coming together into a passable standard.

  To Gray, the respite and chance to guide his nephews into better trainers made him feel accomplished, incomparable to collecting more badges.

  There were moments where the boys’ competitive streak reared its head, spats and disagreements on whose training methods were better in teaching the Oddish.

  With their uncle’s presence, however, any deeper hostilities were nipped in the bud. Gray had had to sit both Ash and Gary down and explain how their differing methods, despite the clashing ideologies, were equal in importance.

  He patiently explained to them that Ash’s positive reinforcement and Gary’s clinical teachings were both needed in order to train a pokemon effectively.

  Sure enough, the Oddish performed better under their combined teachings.

  Gray hoped that the seeds he had planted today would blossom into a healthier rivalry, completely different from the borderline toxicity he had witnessed in his past life.

  Much to Bella’s friends’ horror, on the first day the boys came back to the flower shop, they adamantly requested the older teens to change back and forth from their Team Rocket ‘disguise’.

  Gray’s awareness was one thing, but to confirm their involvement under broad daylight had them flushed from head to toe. They had looked to the older trainer to try and get out of it, but the man’s bland reaction was not a denial so they had to succumb.

  Thankfully, the boys claimed to find the exercise helpful in helping them ‘see through lies’. Gray wasn’t fully convinced, of course, but anything was an improvement from the negatives.

  Over time, their continued presence in Bella’s shop was noticed by the general public. Already, every successful attempt of the Oddish to recreate the ethereal combination of Grassy Terrain and Moonlight drew applause from passersby. The novelty of buying flowers more vibrant and beautiful than normal was helping the business thrive.

  Gray declined any attention on himself, letting the elite aura of his pokemon detract the more adamant fans to great success.

  On the day Oddish managed to flawlessly coordinate the moves without input, Gray announced that it would be their last day helping. The fairy trainer awkwardly waved away Bella’s teary gratitude, so she managed to find a middle ground by inundating the boys with instead.

  Ash and Gary were both flushed Charmander red when they left the shop that day, snacks in hand as a thank you gift from Bella.

  “I’d appreciate it if you let me know if there are any concerning developments with the group you’ve joined,” Gray said to Bella after the boys ran out of earshot. “I hope you keep yourselves safe, you’re all still young after all. If you need me, just call.”

  Bella and her friends nodded their heads fervently, smiling gratefully to Gray when he handed them his scribbled contact details. The initial fear they had for the older trainer was long forgotten after witnessing his ‘teachings' the past few days.

  Gray nodded at them with a small smile before trailing after his nephews.

  Gary and Ash raced into their hotel room, exhausted but pleased from the fruits of their labor the past few days.

  Fighting to keep their drooping eyelids open, they vividly recounted their experience to each other, much to their uncle’s amusement. Gray had long stopped paying attention after their fourth recount of events and repeated exclamations of ‘Awesome future trainers!’.

  As an uncle, he was of course proud of their accomplishments, but he himself was drained from their never ending chatter.

  Both boys yawned and stretched, casually making their way to their shared bed after a conspiratory glance at one another. Just as they reached the bed, before they could even clamber on, they were interrupted by their uncle’s deadpan.

  “What are you both doing?”

  “Ugh… Sleep? We’re so tired I bet we could sleep longer than a Snorlax!”

  “Yes, I’m aware you’re tired. But you’re not getting on that bed before you shower. You’re both filthy.”

  Ash and Gary’s combined protests and whines fell on deaf ears, so they resorted to trying to negotiate their way out of a bath.

  Unfortunately, even their fervent ‘promise to not fight tomorrow no matter what, uncle!’ was not very effective. They tried to remain stubborn about it.

  Resisting the urge to massage his temples, Gray opted for a different strategy altogether.

  “Hmm… So you’re both too tired to shower and brush your teeth? That’s fine, your uncle can help you. It’s not much different from taking care of babies.”

  Gray’s comparison was super effective, both boys heatedly insisting they were old enough and didn’t need any help. Seeing their uncle’s disbelieving look, they rushed into the hotel bathroom to prove their uncle wrong.

  Pleased, Gray whistled a nameless tune as he sat himself down on a couch. Spending uninterrupted time with his young nephews had rapidly honed his uncle skills, and he was feeling quite proud of himself for his achievements.

  Whipping out his phone, he dialed Grandpa Sammy to check up on the old man.

  “Who could be calling at this late hour? Rotom, don’t pick up!” said Grandpa Sammy as soon as the call connected, eyes lingering above the camera.

  “Oops, sorry Grandpa. Just wanted to keep you updated. The boys managed to train the Oddish quite well, this should be our last day in Vermillion.”

  “Oh? And who could this be? My wayward grandson finally calling to check in? I’m surprised you remembered I existed!”

  Puzzled, Gray’s mind began to race. He had to sheepishly scratch his head upon realising he hadn’t called Grandpa Sammy the past few days.

  Gray had to spend a few minutes trying to pacify the old man. Fortunately, his exaggerated groveling was too amusing to keep a straight face with, so the old man willingly caved with a snort after a while.

  Both pleased from the chance to reconnect, Gray chatted on, keeping Grandpa Sammy updated on everything that had transpired so far. Gray failed to realise that his chatterbox tendencies around Grandpa Sammy were not dissimilar to his nephews’ around him.

  The fairy trainer couldn’t help but notice Grandpa Sammy’s sombre mood after he informed him about Bella and her involvement in Team Rocket.

  “I’m not surprised that more and more people are resisting against the inequality. I’ll tell Blue and Samuel about this, keep them updated. Is this related to the Oddish you mentioned earlier?”

  Gray had to resist the urge to dig even deeper, his worries and fears about Team Rocket’s existence now at the forefront as he talked with his most trusted family member. Knowing he had no evidence of darker deeds despite his misgivings, he instead pivoted to the boys’ efforts the past few days.

  Grandpa Sammy listened on with a smile, pleased that his two great grandsons were on the path to becoming outstanding trainers. It boded well that their efforts were being sharpened under the guidance of their uncle. The years Gray spent away seemed to matter not, the fond exasperation and pride obvious from his grandson’s retelling.

  “You’ve done well, Gray. I never doubted that you’d be able to take care of the boys,” said Grandpa Sammy proudly.

  Gray had to fight back against the rise of emotion inside, opting to give a rogue, boyish grin instead. Grandpa Sammy chose not to comment on Gray’s likeness to Blue when he smiled like that.

  “If only you could battle as well. Your match with Lt. Surge was far too close for comfort, you could have done much better.”

  After a token protest, Gray had to pause to consider grandpa’s words. He wasn’t wrong. Gray had entered the match far too full of himself, not necessarily in blatant cockiness but rather in his ineffectual preparation leading up to the match.

  He firmly believed that his pokemon were a calibre above the gym leader’s, but their showing hadn’t reflected that. There were far too many moments when he and his team were caught off guard.

  Despite doing his best to prepare for the match, the pokemon Lt. Surge sent out were different from his usual. For example, Lt. Surge had never once sent out a Luxray, even in his eighth-tier badge fights. He had never resorted to Volt Switch tactics either.

  A stab of guilt hit Gray. Ninetales’ illusions were rendered useless the minute Jolteon Volt Switched to Luxray, and he didn’t even know. This was a failing on Gray’s part.

  “I’m aware… I should have dug deeper, our prep for the Thunder Badge was too shallow.”

  “I’m more disappointed that you didn’t utilise your resources to the best of your ability. You are an Oak, Gray. It would have been simple to get information on a gym leader’s team. This wasn’t like Brock’s mega evolutions, where he had never revealed them before your match. Lt. Surge’s Luxray and usual tactics have long been documented, all you needed to do was ask.”

  “Oh? Using Professor Oak’s resources, you mean? At the very least, I managed to spare myself accusations of nepotism.”

  Unimpressed, Grandpa Sammy gave his beloved grandson a bland look for a few moments. “Right, you starting your journey with an Eevee, at your insistence if I recall, wasn’t nepotism at work.”

  Gray flinched minutely, sticking his tongue out at Grandpa Sammy for the jab.

  The old man definitely wasn’t wrong.

  Despite the maturity that came with living a second life, Gray couldn’t deny that even from the very start, he had started his Pokemon journey at a higher rung. He had tried to distance himself from the legacy and pressure, slowly navigating around at his own pace and figuring out the whole fairy type deal.

  Looking back, even then he had been casually wagging his privilege on peoples’ faces. Was it a wonder then that his lacklustre performance on his first conference managed to irk so many people?

  Even now, his casual wielding of the power he had accumulated over the years away from Kanto could be perceived as him spitting on his privileged upbringing. After all, if he could manage to do so easily now, why didn’t he do so from the start?

  Of course, it could not be denied that the situation was more complex. But at the end of the day, at least to the layman, Gray was destined to be a powerful trainer and he had squandered it in the beginning. Him choosing to ignore some of his privileges now, in a bid to even out the playing field was both futile and inconsequential.

  “Alright, alright, I get it. Moving forward, I’m definitely prepping better for my future badge fights, using all the resources I could get my hands on. We can even start now! Tell me about my next gym fight?”

  “Where do you plan on going next?”

  “Don’t need to pretend! I’m sure you’ll tell me where to go anyway!”

  Grandpa’s hearty laughter lightened the gravity of their previous conversation. He proceeded to inform Gray about his upcoming fight, nevermind that he would be instructing his Rotom-phone to send over relevant documents with all this information afterwards.

  When he finished his tirade and informed Gray of his homework, that he wasn’t exempt from reviewing the information on his own time, his grandson blinked back his surprise.

  “The Rotom-phone have access to such information now? Isn’t this a bit too confidential?”

  “Of course they do. Your Grandfather Samuel has full intentions to integrate the Rotom completely in his future work and processes. This level of trust in the bonds between pokemon and trainer is right up his alley. Not to mention the technological leap and implications.”

  Gray had to pause and absorb that. Grandpa Sammy generously gave his grandson the space to process.

  “Professor Samuel Oak insisted that he could trust your direction on this. After all, if this could work in other regions, why not here in Kanto? Some of the other scientists questioned the feasibility of it, and insisted on trying things at a smaller scale, at least at the start.

  He wouldn’t have it though. He claimed that since his trusted grandson endorsed it, he would support the endeavor without holding back right from the beginning.”

  Ash and Gary, with impeccable timing, finished their bath then. Seeing their Uncle Gray mid-conversation with Grandpa Sammy, they enthusiastically regaled the old man with their experiences the past few days.

  That night, Gray’s thoughts raced as he lay in bed. Alone, he tossed and turned as his pokemon team and nephews drifted peacefully in their slumber. With a huff, Gray directed his thoughts away from Professor Samuel Oak and into far more immediate concerns, like his upcoming gym fight.

  Today, he rested in Vermillion.

  Tomorrow, he'll be in Celadon City, preparing to uproot Erika and earn the Rainbow Badge within the week.